News

Biltmore Crossing Meeting

HORSEHEADS - [WENY] It was a packed house Wednesday night at the American Legion in Horseheads, where hundreds of concerned residents showed up to the Biltmore Crossing informational meeting. Biltmore Crossing developer Conifer Realty was at the meeting to present the development plans, and let residents know who they are and what they do. After the informational meeting, people spoke out against the low income Biltmore Crossing Development. Neighbors against the development were concerned with the way the development was approved, the lack of transparency, and how the public was notified. But many residents at the meeting were disappointed at the lack of response and action from the Horseheads Town Board listening to concerns. Mike Belosky, owner of Belosky Construction said, "I was absolutely appalled that to think that our Horseheads Town Board would not even answer one question put up by all of these that's what I thought the meeting was for, to get some answers and get some discussion going, and they didn't even answer one question for one member of this community." Many residents were also concerned with what they say are constant changes to the project and it's details. Belosky added, "It started out with townhouses then it went to apartments then it went to senior housing and then 11 months after the town board approved it in January of 2013, the community found out what was really coming here." But Conifer realty says they are an affordable housing firm, and the talk of project changes and details didn't come from them. Lisa Kaseman, Project Director with Conifer Realty said, "With all due respect to the people that are standing here, that was the media, that wasn't something that came from Conifer." But when it comes to the reactions of the residents at the meeting, Conifer says they're not surprised. Kaseman said, "Unfortunately there is a lot of discrimination against affordable housing, and this is just a really good example of just how that is." WENY News reached out to the Horseheads Town Board for a comment after the meeting, but they declined to comment. WENY News will bring more updates to this story as it develops.